Tennis - 2 | Britannica.com Tennis game in which two opposing players (singles) or pairs of players (doubles) use tautly strung rackets to hit a ball of specified size, weight, and bounce over a net on a rectangular court. Displaying 1 - 77 of 77 results Agassi, Andre American professional tennis player who won eight Grand Slam titles, as well as the “career Grand Slam” for winning each of the four major tennis tournaments— Wimbledon, the Australian Open, the French Open, and the U.S. Open —at least once. By age 2... Ashe, Arthur American tennis player, the first black winner of a major men’s singles championship. Ashe began to play tennis at the age of seven in a neighbourhood park. He was coached by Walter Johnson of Lynchburg, Virginia, who had coached tennis champion Althea...

Austin, Henry Wilfred British tennis player who was one of the world’s highest-ranked players in the 1930s, twice a finalist at the All-England (Wimbledon) Championships (1932 and 1938), and a pivotal member of the British team that won four consecutive Davis Cups (1933–36),... Australian Open one of the world’s major tennis championships (the first of the four annual Grand Slam events), held at the National Tennis Centre at Melbourne Park in Melbourne, Australia. Started by the Lawn Tennis Association of Australasia (later, of Australia),... Becker, Boris German tennis player who, on July 7, 1985, became the youngest champion in the history of the men’s singles at Wimbledon. At the same time, he became the only unseeded player and the only German ever to win the title, as well as the youngest person ever... Betz Addie, Pauline American tennis player who won five Grand Slam singles titles, including the U.S. national championship (now the U.S.

Open) four times (1942–44, 1946) and the All-England (Wimbledon) once (1946), as well as the French Open mixed doubles title (1946).... Bhupathi, Mahesh Indian tennis player who was one of the most dominant doubles players in the sport’s history. He won four men’s doubles and eight mixed doubles Grand Slam titles. Bhupathi started playing tennis at a young age, encouraged by his father, who also trained... Borg, Björn Swedish tennis player who was one of the finest competitors of the modern era. He was the first man to win the Wimbledon singles championship five successive times (1976–80) since Laurie Doherty (1902–06). He won the French Open men’s singles championship... Borotra, Jean prominent French tennis player of the 1920s. In 1927, as one of the Four Musketeers (the others being René Lacoste, Henri Cochet, and Jacques Brugnon), he helped France win the Davis Cup for the first time. Nicknamed “the Bounding Basque” because of...

Bromwich, John Australian tennis player who, despite having his career interrupted by World War II military service, won two Australian Open singles titles (1937 and 1946); 13 Grand Slam doubles titles, including three at the U.S. championships, two at the All-England... Brugnon, Jacques French tennis champion, one of the world’s greatest doubles players, who formed a part of the “ Four Musketeers” (the others were Jean Borotra, Henri Cochet, and René Lacoste) in the 1920s and early ’30s. Brugnon won the French singles championship in... Budge, Don American tennis player who was the first to win the Grand Slam—i.e., the four major singles championships, Australia, France, Great Britain, and the United States—in one year (1938). Budge was active in sports as a boy but was not particularly interested... Bueno, Maria Ester Audion amateur tennis player who won 17 Wimbledon and United States (Forest Hills, N.Y., and Brookline, Mass.) championships from 1958 through 1968.

Bueno began playing tennis at about the age of six and won her first tournament at São Paulo at the age of 12... Capriati, Jennifer American tennis player who first achieved success as a teenage prodigy. Capriati was born in New York City and lived in Spain until age four, when her family moved to Florida so that she could pursue a tennis career. She quickly attracted attention with... Chambers, Dorothea Lambert British tennis player who was the leading female competitor in the period prior to World War I. Chambers won the Wimbledon singles seven times (1903–04, 1906, 1910–11, 1913–14), a record surpassed only by Helen Wills Moody in the 1930s. In the 1919 Wimbledon... Chatrier, Philippe French tennis player, sportswriter, and sports administrator who as head of the French tennis federation (1973–93) and the international tennis federation (1977–91) and a member of the International Olympic Committee (from 1990), was instrumental in...

Cochet, Henri French tennis player who, as one of the Four Musketeers (with Jean Borotra, René Lacoste, and Jacques Brugnon), helped establish the French domination of world tennis in the mid-1920s. Cochet’s father was the secretary of a local tennis court, and as... Connolly, Maureen Catherine American tennis player who in 1953 became the first woman to win the Grand Slam of tennis: the British (Wimbledon), U.S., Australian, and French singles championships. Connolly began playing tennis at the age of 10. After a few months of training under... Connors, Jimmy American professional tennis player who was one of the leading competitors in the 1970s and early ’80s and was known for his intensity and aggressive play. During his career he won 109 singles championships and was ranked number one in the world for... Court, Margaret Australian tennis player who dominated women’s competition in the 1960s.

She won 66 Grand Slam championships, more than any other woman, and in 1970 became the second woman (after Maureen Connolly in 1953) to win the Grand Slam of tennis singles: Wimbledon,... Danzig, Sarah Palfrey U.S. tennis champion who combined grace and skill at the net to capture 18 Grand Slam titles, 16 of them collected in doubles and mixed doubles competition (b. Sept. 18, 1912--d. Feb. 27, 1996). Davis Cup trophy awarded to the winner of an annual international lawn- tennis tournament originally for amateur men’s teams. The official name is the International Lawn Tennis Challenge Trophy. The trophy was donated in 1900 by American Dwight F. Davis for a... Davis, Dwight F. tennis player best known as the donor of the Davis Cup (properly the International Lawn Tennis Challenge Trophy) for competition among teams representing various nations. He later became a United States cabinet member. For three consecutive years (1899–1901)... deck tennis game for two or four players, designed for the limited space aboard ship and also played as a garden game.

It combines lawn tennis and quoits. A rubber ring, or quoit, is thrown across a net. It must be caught using one hand and returned immediately... Djokovic, Novak Serbian tennis player who was one of the game’s premier performers in the early 21st century, when he won 12 Grand Slam titles. Djokovic took up tennis at age four and quickly ascended the junior ranks. Despite the hardships that came with growing up... Drobny, Jaroslav Czechoslovak-born sportsman who during the 1940s was one of his country’s finest tennis players and a key member of the national ice hockey team, but he achieved his greatest success on the tennis court after his defection to the West in 1950. Drobny... Etchebaster, Pierre French real tennis player who dominated the sport as world champion from 1928 to 1954. Etchebaster started as a player of pelota, the game of his native Basque region, before taking up real tennis, the ancestor of lawn tennis known in France as jeu de...

Evert, Chris outstanding American tennis player who dominated the sport in the mid- and late 1970s and remained a major competitor into the late 1980s. She was noted for her consistency, precision, poise, and grace and for popularizing the two-handed backhand stroke.... Fed Cup trophy representing the women’s amateur team-tennis championship of the world, inaugurated in 1963 by the International Lawn Tennis Federation in observance of its 50th anniversary. The first competition, an elimination tournament involving teams of... Federer, Roger Swiss tennis player, who dominated the sport in the early 21st century with his exceptional all-around game. His total of 17 career men’s singles Grand Slam championships is the most in tennis history. Federer, who started playing tennis at age eight,... French Open international tennis championship tournament established as a men’s interclub competition in 1891. The first French national championships were held in the Stade Français. In 1897 women’s singles matches were added to tournament play. Women’s doubles... Gibson, Althea American tennis player who dominated women’s competition in the late 1950s.

She was the first black player to win the French (1956), Wimbledon (1957–58), and U.S. Open (1957–58) singles championships. Gibson grew up in New York City, where she began... Godfree, Kitty British tennis player, a dominant figure in women’s tennis in the 1920s who won two singles titles at the All-England Championships at Wimbledon, five doubles titles in Grand Slam events, and five Olympic medals, including a gold in women’s doubles at... Gonzales, Pancho American tennis player who won the U.S. professional championship in men’s singles eight times, seven consecutively (1953–59, 1961). Born into a Mexican American family, Gonzales as a youth had no access to tennis clubs and was largely a self-taught... Graf, Steffi German tennis player who dominated women’s tennis in the late 1980s and ’90s. Graf began playing tennis with the encouragement of her father, who became her coach. At age 13 she became the second youngest player ever to earn an international ranking....

Gullikson, Timothy Edward ("TIM"), U.S. tennis player and coach who had a successful career in doubles with his identical twin, Tom, but was better known for guiding the careers of other players, including Mary Joe Fernandez, Martina Navratilova, and, especially, Pete Sampras... Henin, Justine Belgian tennis player, whose strong serve and powerful one-handed backhand elevated her to the top of the women’s game in the mid-2000s. Henin set high standards as a junior competitor, taking the Junior Orange Bowl international tennis championship... Hewitt, Lleyton Australian professional tennis player whose astonishing court speed, fierce determination, and unrelenting ground strokes allowed him to capture victories at both the U.S. Open (2001) and Wimbledon (2002). Hewitt was born into an exceedingly athletic... Hingis, Martina Swiss professional tennis player who became the youngest person in the “open” era to win a Grand Slam singles title and the youngest to be ranked world number one. In her relatively short, injury-plagued career, she won five Grand Slam tournaments—the...

Hoad, Lew Australian tennis player who rose to prominence in the 1950s, winning 13 major singles and doubles titles. With his rival and partner, Ken Rosewall, Hoad led Australia to win the Davis Cup in 1953 over the United States. The two were formidable in cup... Hughes, George Patrick British tennis player, who was the only Englishman to become the singles titleholder at the Italian Open and also was considered one of his generation’s best doubles players (b. Dec. 21, 1902--d. May 8, 1997). Jacobs, Helen Hull American tennis player and writer who, in the 1920s and ’30s, became known for her persistence and her on-court rivalry with Helen Wills (Moody). Jacobs was the national junior tennis champion in 1924–25 and attended the University of California, Berkeley,... King, Billie Jean American tennis player whose influence and playing style elevated the status of women’s professional tennis beginning in the late 1960s. In her career she won 39 major titles, competing in both singles and doubles.

King was athletically inclined from... Kramer, Jack American champion tennis player who became a successful promoter of professional tennis. Kramer was selected to represent the United States in the 1939 Davis Cup doubles against Australia. However, in spite of an excellent record in the United States,... Lacoste, René French tennis player who was a leading competitor in the late 1920s. As one of the powerful Four Musketeers (the others were Jean Borotra, Henri Cochet, and Jacques Brugnon), he helped France win its first Davis Cup in 1927, starting its six-year domination... Laver, Rod outstanding Australian tennis player, the second male player in the history of the game (after Don Budge in 1938) to win the four major singles championships—Australia, France, Great Britain (Wimbledon), and the United States—in one year (1962) and the... Lenglen, Suzanne French tennis player and six-time Wimbledon champion in both singles and doubles competition, whose athletic play, combining strength and speed, changed the nature of women’s tennis and positioned her as the dominant women’s amateur player from 1919...

Mallory, Molla Norwegian-born U.S. tennis player who was the only woman to win the U.S. singles championship eight times. She defeated Suzanne Lenglen of France for the U.S. title in 1921, the only loss in Lenglen’s amateur career. Mallory was known for her endurance... Marble, Alice American tennis player, known for her powerful serves and volleys, who dominated the women’s game during the late 1930s. Marble was introduced to baseball by an uncle and resolved to become a professional baseball player. Marble’s older brother introduced... Mauresmo, Amélie French professional tennis player who won two Grand Slam titles—the Australian Open and Wimbledon —in 2006. Mauresmo was not yet four when she watched countryman Yannick Noah win the French Open, and his victory inspired her to take up the game. She... McEnroe, John American tennis player who established himself as a leading competitor in the late 1970s and the ’80s. He also was noted for his poor behaviour on court, which resulted in a number of fines and suspensions and, on Jan.

21, 1990, in his default at the... Murray, Andy Scottish tennis player who was one of the sport’s premier players during the 2010s, winning three Grand Slam titles and two men’s singles Olympic gold medals. Though clearly blessed with an unusual talent from an early age—with speed, power, and a light... Muster, Thomas Austrian tennis player who, at the 1995 French Open, became the first competitor from his country to win a Grand Slam tournament and who was one of the dominant clay court players in the 1990s. Muster entered professional tennis in 1985, after finishing... Nadal, Rafael Spanish tennis player who emerged in the early 21st century as one of the game’s leading competitors, especially noted for his performance on clay. He won a record nine career French Open championships. Nadal grew up in a sports-minded family; his uncle... Nastase, Ilie Romanian tennis player known for his on-court histrionics and outstanding Davis Cup play. He was the first European to surpass $1 million in career prize money and was ranked number one in the world in 1973.

A Davis Cup player since 1966, Nastase almost... Navratilova, Martina Czech-born American tennis player, who dominated women’s tennis in the late 1970s and the ’80s. Navratilova played in her first tennis tournament at eight years of age. A left-handed player who ranked number one in Czechoslovakia from 1972 to 1975, she... paddle tennis small-scale form of tennis similar to a British shipboard game of the 1890s. Frank P. Beal, a New York City official, introduced paddle tennis on New York playgrounds in the early 1920s. He had invented it as a child in Albion, Mich. It became popular,... Paes, Leander Indian tennis player who was one of the most successful doubles players in tennis history, with eight career Grand Slam doubles titles and six career Grand Slam mixed doubles championships. Paes began playing tennis at the age of five, and in 1985 he... Parker, Frank American tennis player who in the 1940s was U.S.

singles champion twice, Wimbledon doubles champion--with Pancho Gonzales--once, and French singles champion twice; he spent 17 years in the top-10 ranks (b. Feb. 13, 1916--d. July 24, 1997). platform tennis sport that is a combination of tennis and squash, devised in 1928 by American sports enthusiasts Fessenden Blanchard and James Cogswell at Scarsdale, N.Y. It is played on specially constructed platforms, 60 by 30 feet (18 by 9 m), surrounded by back... real tennis racket sport that is descended from and almost identical to the medieval tennis game jeu de paume (“game of the palm”). Real tennis has been played since the Middle Ages, but the game has become almost completely obscured by its own descendant, lawn... Riggs, Robert Larimore ("BOBBY"), U.S. tennis player who was one of the top-ranked U.S. players in the 1930s and ’40s but was best known for his participation in the 1973 "Battle of the Sexes" with Billie Jean King.

After making disparaging comments regarding women’s tennis,... Rosewall, Ken Australian tennis player who was a major competitor for 25 years, winning 18 Big Four titles. Although he was short and had a slight build, Rosewall remained a powerful force in tennis far longer than many stronger players and was never badly injured.... Sampras, Pete American tennis player whose exceptional all-around game enabled him to win 14 Grand Slam singles titles, a record among male players until 2009, when it was broken by Roger Federer. Sampras during his career won seven Wimbledon singles championships... Sears, Richard Dudley the first American men’s singles champion in lawn tennis (1881) and winner of that title for each of the six following years. His record has never been equaled by any other amateur player. Sears also won the U.S. men’s doubles championship for six straight... Sharapova, Maria Russian tennis player who was one of the game’s leading players in the early 21st century, the winner of five Grand Slam titles. Sharapova began playing tennis as a young child, and in 1993 she caught the attention of Czech-born American tennis star...

Talbert, William Franklin, III American tennis player who, despite suffering from diabetes, won 33 national titles, including eight doubles titles at the U.S. championships in the 1940s; he was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1967 and served twice (1971–75 and... tennis game in which two opposing players (singles) or pairs of players (doubles) use tautly strung rackets to hit a ball of specified size, weight, and bounce over a net on a rectangular court. Points are awarded to a player or team whenever the opponent fails... Tilden, Bill American tennis player who dominated the game for more than a decade, winning seven U.S. championships (now the U.S. Open), three Wimbledon Championships, and two professional titles. His overpowering play and temperamental personality made him one of... U.S. Open international tennis tournament, the fourth and final of the major events that make up the annual Grand Slam of tennis (the other tournaments are the Australian Open, the French Open, and the Wimbledon Championships). The U.S. Open is held each year... Vines, H. Ellsworth, Jr.

U.S. tennis player of the 1930s who bounced back after a series of losses at age 18 to win the Wimbledon and U.S. singles championships. A versatile athlete, he attended the University of Southern California on a basketball scholarship before making... Wightman Cup trophy awarded the winner of women’s tennis matches held annually from 1923 to 1989 between British and American teams. A competition comprised five singles and two doubles matches. The cup itself was donated in 1923 by Hazel Hotchkiss Wightman. The... Wightman, Hazel Hotchkiss American tennis player who dominated women’s competition before World War I. Known as the “queen mother of American tennis,” she was instrumental in organizing the Wightman Cup match between British and American women’s teams. The winner of 45 U.S. titles,... Williams, Serena American tennis player who—along with her sister Venus —revolutionized women’s tennis with her powerful style of play, becoming one of the game’s most dominant athletes in the early 21st century. Williams learned tennis from her father on the public...

Williams, Venus American tennis player who—along with her sister Serena —redefined the sport with her strength and superb athleticism. Like her sister Serena, Venus was introduced to tennis on the public courts in Los Angeles by her father, who early on recognized her... Wills, Helen outstanding American tennis player who was the top female competitor in the world for eight years (1927–33 and 1935). Wills began playing tennis when she was 13 and won her first major title, the U.S. girls’ championship, in 1921. She repeated as national... Wimbledon Championships internationally known tennis championships played annually in London at Wimbledon. The tournament, held in late June and early July, is one of the four annual “Grand Slam” tennis events—along with the Australian, French, and U.S. Opens —and is the only...

French Open 2011: four musketeers are swinging away at the top of the modern men's game - Telegraph French Open French Open 2011: four musketeers are swinging away at the top of the modern men's game Even the French, who are forever romanticising the tennis that was played in the 1920s and 1930s by their four 'musketeers', would accept that there is a formidable and gifted quartet swinging away at the top of the modern men's game. All to play for: reaching the final and winning the French Open will become a record achievement for any of the four players in the last four Photo: AP/REUTERS By Mark Hodgkinson , in Paris 9:52PM BST 02 Jun 2011 Follow Even the French, who are forever romanticising the tennis that was played in the 1920s and 1930s by their four 'musketeers', would accept that there is a formidable and gifted quartet swinging away at the top of the modern men's game.

Four compelling narratives will converge on a rectangle of orange-red clay in south-west Paris this afternoon, as Rafael Nadal plays Andy Murray in the semi-finals on Court Philippe Chatrier, followed by Novak Djokovic against Roger Federer, and it will be an occasion to glory in what ought to be regarded as the strongest era of all time. Stronger than the sepia days of Jean Borotra, Jacques Brugnon, Henri Cochet, and Rene Lacoste. Stronger than John McEnroe, Jimmy Connors and Bjorn Borg in the 1980s. Stronger than Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi in the 1990s. Across all the eras, wooden, graphite and titanium. If Murray, appearing in the semi-finals at Roland Garros for the first time, is to go on to win La Coupe des Mousquetaires, he must first defeat an opponent who is arguably the greatest clay-court player in history, someone attempting to equal Bjorn Borg's record of six French Open titles.

Then, in Sunday's final, he would either have to fend off the most successful player in history, a winner of 16 slams, or a player who is riding the longest undefeated streak since the 1980s. Related Articles French Open: women's semi-finals 02 Jun 2011 Should Djokovic defeat Federer, he would be guaranteed to become the world No 1 for the first time, an elevation that would formally end the long-running Roger and Rafa Show. By winning his semi, Djokovic would also put himself level with John McEnroe's record for the best start to a year, which was when he opened the 1984 season with 42 successive victories, though it has to be imagined that Djokovic will care more about reaching a first Paris final and that ranking. For the last seven years, only Nadal and Federer have been at the top of the electronic billboard, but Djokovic is just three sets away. No one is pretending that comparing and ranking eras is in any way an exact science, but it is worth doing all the same.

It has all come together this Friday, on the first occasion for five years that all of the top four seeds have made the semi-finals of a slam. It has been Djokovic's surge that has beefed up this era. Even if Djokovic were to lose, he could still start the grass-court season as the No 1 as Nadal must retain his title if he wants to stay on that top line. Along with almost everyone else in tennis, Murray has long been of the opinion that Federer and Nadal are two of the finest talents to have ever gripped a racket, perhaps even the two greatest. They are two of only seven men, from both the amateur and professional eras, to have completed the career grand slam. Should Nadal win this championships, he would go into double figures for majors. It was difficult enough for Murray when it was just a duopoly, when Federer and Nadal were divvying up the slams between them, but the sustained brilliance from Djokovic's strings over the last six months has changed the landscape of the sport.

Djokovic, unbeaten in 43 matches, and 41 for the year, has already defeated Federer three times this season, including in the semi-finals of the Australian Open, and he has had four days off before this match. In thinner times, someone with Federer's back-catalogue of achievement would never have been allowed to arrive at a slam as a half-forgotten, half-remembered, half-loved outsider. In the days leading up to this French Open, and indeed for much of the fortnight, many of the conversations around the grounds about the finalists have included only two names. "Nadal will beat Djokovic." "No, Djokovic will beat Nadal." The central rivalry this season has been Nadal's with Djokovic, especially after the Serbian defeated the Majorcan in two clay-court finals, in Madrid and Rome. Yet the Swiss world No 3, who is yet to drop a set so far at this tournament, has the opportunity today to reach his first slam final since winning last season's Australian Open, and to show that there could still be a major or two left in his racket-arm.

Federer, a former champion at Roland Garros, is hoping to re-establish himself on any surface, as is Nadal on clay. There are a few who would suggest that the modern game is too benign, friendly and corporate for its own good, that the wider sporting public would be more interested in the players and the narratives if there was just a little more edge, fire and aggression. Just like the days of McEnroe and Connors. The best way to refute that view is to quote from the superb essay that Martin Amis once wrote in The New Yorker on the subject of personalities. "I have a problem with - I am uncomfortable with - the word personality and its plural, as in 'modern tennis lacks personalities' and 'tennis needs a new star who is a genuine personality'. But if, from now on, I can put 'personality' between quotation marks, and use it as an exact synonym of a seven-letter duosyllable starting with 'a' and ending with 'e' (and also featuring, in order of appearance, an 'ss', an 'h', an 'o' and an 'l'), why, then, personality and I are going to get along just fine,” Amis wrote.

Civility and good manners do not weaken an era, at least not in pure sporting terms. One other counter argument against the glorification of this modern generation is to ponder how Murray has been able to make the semi-finals of the French Open for the first time on just one good leg. Does that not indicate, you could say, that there is not a great deal of depth to the game? Firstly, eras are not defined by the lesser players; in 10 years, few will remember Viktor Troicki and Juan Ignacio Chela. And no one could suggest, while keeping a straight face, that there is less depth to the men's game now than there was in the 1920s, the 1930s or any decade in between. Tennis has never been as much of an international sport as it is now, and it is harder, more brutal, game than ever before. The leading four have pulled ahead of the field, though there is a gap between the top two and Federer, and daylight between Federer and Murray. For a French or international audience, Murray's is perhaps the weakest, the least interesting, of the four stories left in the draw.

Even if he is only the second British man of the open era, after Tim Henman, to reach the semi-finals in Paris. Even if you have to rewind to Fred Perry in 1935 for the last British men's champion or spool back to Bunny Austin in 1937 for the last British men's finalist. Jean Borotra Bio, Stats, and Results | Olympics at Sports-Reference.com Medals: 1 Bronze (1 Total) Biography Basque tennis player Jean Borotra was most famous as one of the “Four Musketeers”, together with [Jacques Brugnon], [Henri Cochet] and [René Lacoste]. These four dominated international tennis in the 1920s and 1930s, winning the Davis Cup 1927-1932, as well as many Grand Slam titles. Borotra won 9 French Open titles (including two singles) and six at Wimbledon. He played only once at the U.S. Open, losing the final to Lacoste and winning the mixed doubles.

A member of the French Socialist Party (PSF), he served as commissioner for education and sports in Vichy France, but was captured by the Germans in 1942, remaining imprisoned for the remainder of the Second World War. Borotra, who was known as the "jumping Basque", continued to play Davis Cup tennis until after the war, and was inducted in the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1976, together with the other three Musketeers. Results The New Musketeers: France's fantastic four bid for Davis Cup glory - CNN.com The New Musketeers: France's fantastic four bid for Davis Cup glory By Gary Morley, CNN Updated 1232 GMT (2032 HKT) September 20, 2011 Chat with us in Facebook Messenger. Find out what's happening in the world as it unfolds.

Hide Caption 11 of 11 Story highlights France seeking to reach the final of the Davis Cup for second year in a row Gael Monfils, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Richard Gasquet , Gilles Simon dubbed "New Musketeers" They are striving to emulate the achievements of four famous compatriots Rene Lacoste, Henri Cochet, Jean Borotra and "Toto" Brugnon dominated world tennis Known as "The Four Musketeers," they won fame and fortune on courts across western Europe in a golden era of style and glamor. Some 80 years later, a new quartet of dashing young men is seeking to make a similar mark for France. Rene Lacoste, Henri Cochet, Jean Borotra and Jacques "Toto" Brugnon were collectively unbeatable in the 1920s and early 1930s, dominating world tennis for almost a decade and establishing France as a major power in the sport. Named after a film version of the classic Alexandre Dumas novel, they ended U.S. supremacy in the prestigious Davis Cup teams competition, winning it six years in a row, and claimed 43 grand slam singles and doubles titles between them.

The famous Roland Garros venue was built in Paris to host the following year's Davis Cup defense, after their famous victory in Philadelphia in 1927, and the French Open's men's singles trophy was named after them. After their demise, France had to wait 59 long years for another Davis Cup triumph, and it has been a decade since its last -- and ninth overall -- title. The last Frenchman to win a grand slam was Yannick Noah, in Paris in 1983. But a modern group of players, dubbed "The New Musketeers" by national sports newspaper L'Equipe, are striving to carve their own place in history. Gael Monfils, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Gilles Simon and Richard Gasquet were ranked in the world's top 13 after this month's U.S. Open, raising hopes that they can do better than when similarly placed as fresh-faced youngsters in 2008. JUST WATCHED MUST WATCH The New Four Musketeers?

08:14 Last year they took France to the final of the Davis Cup, losing to Novak Djokovic's Serbia, and this weekend they will travel to Spain, the home nation of the world No.1's predecessor Rafael Nadal, in a bid to again reach the title decider. Victory in Spain would likely set up a rematch with the Serbs, who host Argentina in the other semifinal -- with the champions undoubtedly fired up by Djokovic's U.S. Open triumph. "When you don't have goals, when you don't have dreams, you are already dead. And this is a dream to win against Spain, in Spain," Tsonga told CNN's Open Court. In 2008, he lost to Djokovic in the Australian Open final, and this year he was beaten by the Serb in the Wimbledon semifinals before falling to Roger Federer in the last eight in New York. The all-action 26-year-old will spearhead France's challenge on clay in Cordoba, with world No. 7 Monfils ruled out due to a knee injury following his second-round exit at Flushing Meadows.

While he and his colleagues have all been ranked in the top 10, they are painfully aware they must take the next step and win major titles before they can be talked of in the same way as their more illustrious compatriots. "We have to win the Davis Cup first," Monfils said. "And then, we try to win a grand slam ... but I think we need two or three Davis Cups and then maybe we can be like musketeers." The original foursome came from very different backgrounds, with Lacoste the most famous after establishing a fashion label once his glittering playing career had finished as well as inventing the steel tennis racket. "Lacoste came from a very wealthy family," veteran American sports journalist Bud Collins told CNN. "His father manufactured automobiles and he fell in love with tennis when he visited some relatives in England. His father said what are you going to do with yourself?

Rene said: 'I want to be a tennis player.' His father said: 'Okay, but only if you can be the best.' " Borotra moved into politics during World War Two, serving as General Commissioner to Sports in the Vichy government during the Nazi occupation before being arrested by the Gestapo in 1942. He lived to the age of 95 and founded the International Fair Play Committee. "He was very gallant. He came from the Basque region and he was called 'the Bounding Basque,' " Collins said. Cochet, nicknamed "the Ball Boy of Lyon" due to his role before becoming a successful player, was a world No. 1 like Lacoste and won seven grand slam singles titles. Brugnon was a doubles specialist who won 12 major titles in that discipline and died in 1978 aged 83 -- two years after they were simultaneously inducted into the Tennis Hall of Fame. Of the new breed, most was expected of Gasquet -- a child prodigy who ranked as high as seventh in 2007, but has been rebuilding his career since a three-month absence in 2009 after testing positive for cocaine.

"Gasquet really had a rough time in that he was on the cover of magazines when he was nine, 10 years old," Collins said of a player who won the French Open mixed doubles title as a teenager in 2004. "In France, they were so excited about him, but it didn't help him. Too much was expected. With the other guys, if they got together, they can pull the best out of him, because he should be the best player." Tsonga also tipped his colleague to continue his recent improvement. "Richard is really, really talented. I think he has improved a lot these past couple of months. He's tougher in his head and I think he's going to play well in the future," he said. "For him it was really difficult because he was really good really early, and all the pressure was on him. It's not easy when you are young. For me it was completely different and I think far more easy." Collins calls Tsonga, whose father is Congolese, "probably the most exciting in the team." "He just goes all out, diving for the ball, everything. At Wimbledon, losing the first two sets to Roger Federer ... that never happened before.

Federer never lost the final-set match. And Tsonga is appealing, he looks like Muhammad Ali, he's terrific." Paris-born Monfils is another larger than life character, with his tattoos and dark, good looks from his Caribbean heritage -- his mother is from Martinique, his father Guadeloupe. "Oh he's exciting," Collins said. "When he's gonna lose, he jumps in the stands, he's gonna do push-ups -- dive for ball, which he certainly will. "And he's got a comical outlook on things -- you know, he's a real prize. But then again, he's this guy who doesn't quite make it." Monfils said a passion for tennis is their biggest bond. "We are all different -- really different because we come different parts of France," he said. "Tennis is the only thing we have in common. We have tennis and that's it. For us it's a passion, I think, and this is why we are friends." All four players live in Switzerland, and Gasquet said their friendly rivalry is helping them to progress. "They are my friends, so it's very good. We try to win the Davis Cup this year," the 25-year-old said.

"It's really nice to have them on the tour with me. It's a nice competition between us because when one is playing good, we try to do the same." While Monfils and Tsonga make headlines with their athletic, never-say-die displays, and Gasquet with his undoubted talent, Simon is the quiet achiever of the group. Ranked as high as sixth in 2009 and a nine-time winner on the ATP Tour, the slightly-built 26-year-old relies more on guile and baseline tenacity. "He's very smart. He can run for hours and hours," Gasquet said. "It's very hard to play with him on a baseline. "You don't see him like Jo or Gael. He's not very muscular. But he's very, very tough to beat." Despite being aware of the feats of the original foursome from an early age -- statues commemorate the players at Roland Garros -- Monfils said he and his colleagues are not consciously trying to emulate them. "Right now, I don't really think about 'to be a musketeer,' about the history.

When you finish your career maybe you can say, 'Ah they were maybe the next musketeers.' Right now, you know, I don't think about it." Simon agrees. "We manage to beat Rafa and Roger sometimes, and Novak also. And it's a good generation -- we are good players but still there are far better players than us on the tour," he said. "And we just try to win one slam also, because the last one was Yannick Noah in 1983. It's 30 years ago. So, everybody wants us to do something very good. That's why they call us this (musketeers). But for sure we don't deserve it." The Four Musketeers Sports > Halls of Fame/Who's Who > D - F The Four Musketeers French quartet that dominated men's tennis in 1920s and '30s, winning 8 straight French singles titles (1925-32), 6 Wimbledons in a row (1924-29) and 6 consecutive Davis Cups (1927-32)— Jean Borotra (b. Aug.

13, 1898, d. July 17, 1994), Jacques Brugnon (b. May 11, 1895, d. Mar. 20, 1978), Henri Cochet (b. Dec. 14, 1901, d. Apr. 1, 1987), Rene Lacoste (b. July 2, 1905, d. Oct. 13, 1996). Untitled Document Henri Jean Cochet was a champion tennis player, one of the famous "Four Musketeers" from France who dominated tennis in the late 1920s and early 1930s. Cochet won eight Grand Slam singles titles in the French, American, and British championships, failing to win only in Australia. He was the World No. 1 player for three consecutive years, 1928 through 1930.He is the only male player who failed to defend all 8 of his Grand Slam Singles titles.The Four Musketeers were inducted simultaneously into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in Newport, Rhode Island in 1976.

Cochet died at age 85 in Paris. Commentary : Men's Tennis Appears Threatened by Boring Styles of Its Top Players - latimes Commentary : Men's Tennis Appears Threatened by Boring Styles of Its Top Players June 10, 1987 |JOHN FEINSTEIN | The Washington Post PARIS — Tennis is a game of eras, usually defined by the players who dominate them. The Four Musketeers and Suzanne Lenglen of France owned the 1920s, and the English much of 1930s. Then came the Americans, players such as Don Budge and Jack Kramer and Maureen Connolly followed by the Aussies--Lew Hoad, Ken Rosewall, Rod Laver, Roy Emerson, John Newcombe, Margaret Court and Evonne Goolagong, to name but a few. For the most part, the 1970s belonged to the Americans once again, Arthur Ashe and Billie Jean King giving way to Jimmy Connors, John McEnroe and Chris Evert.

One might say that Bjorn Borg was the interloper during those years, but it would be far more accurate to see Borg for what he was, the progenitor to the current era: the one that is strangling men's tennis. Yes, strangling it. Right now, only Boris Becker stands between the men's game and utter, total boredom. Tennis is a European game today, dominated by Europeans who have copied Borg's conservative, topspinning style of play. If Borg's main challengers for supremacy in the 1970s had been Ivan Lendl and Mats Wilander rather than Connors and McEnroe, the game might have died right then. As it is, tennis entered the 1980s in such robust health that it may survive the current era in spite of itself. The French Open, which ended last Sunday with Lendl beating Wilander in a final that should be placed in a time capsule to show future generations what not to do, was rescued only by the women. Women's tennis is approaching the end of a truly golden era, the one dominated by Evert and Martina Navratilova. The two of them have been superb competitors, charismatic individuals and outstanding examples for the younger players.

When they turn control of the game over to teen-agers Steffi Graf, Gabriela Sabatini and their-middle aged (24) heirs Hana Mandlikova and Pam Shriver, they will leave it in good health and good hands. The Navratilova-Graf final was a joy to watch. It was full of aggressive, attacking tennis, superb shot-making and, at the end, the kind of sportsmanship that exists only in an ideal world. Men's tennis should be so lucky. Lendl has grown from a superb talent who often choked or gave up in the clutch into a true champion. His shot-making in the fourth set tiebreaker, under extreme pressure because of the rain and Wilander's belated spurt, was easily the highlight of a dreary match. But Lendl brings no spark to the game. He is as mechanical in his play as McEnroe was graceful. He is as conservative as Connors was tenacious. When Joakim Nystrom played moonball with Lendl, the champion played moonball. He won the match but it was a sorry sight to see.

His main challengers at the top right now, putting Becker aside for a moment, are people such as Wilander, Stefan Edberg and Miloslav Mecir. Each, in his own way, is an artiste. Wilander has become a less one-dimensional player of late, but still reverts to serve-and-sleep tennis under pressure. Edberg plays serve-and-volley but has yet to prove he can compete under pressure outside Australia. And Mecir, totally unpredictable on the court, is defiantly predictable and dull off it. Without Becker, these four would be the top four players in the game. Not one has the kind of personality on or off the court that breathes life into the game. The true characters: McEnroe, Connors and the two Frenchmen, Yannick Noah and Henri Leconte, are, for various reasons, at least one rung below these four right now. The last time one of them won a Grand Slam was when McEnroe won the U.S. Open almost three years ago. Don't think for a moment that the European domination of the game is going to end any time soon or that an American comeback is imminent.

The highest ranked Americans right now are Connors, 34, at No. 7, McEnroe, 28, at No. 8 and Tim Mayotte, 27, at No. 12. There's more. Since McEnroe reached the '85 Open final, there have been six Grand Slam tournaments. Twenty-one of 24 semifinalists were Europeans, the three exceptions being Johan Kriek at the '86 French and Australians Pat Cash and Wally Masur at the '87 Australian. None won a title and Cash was the only finalist. The only non-European on the horizon right now who appears to have the potential to crack the top five in the next couple of years (barring a McEnroe comeback) is the hot-tempered Cash. All of which brings us to Becker. On the broad shoulders of the West German teen-ager--"Still I am not yet 20," he often points out--rests the future of tennis. As Bud Collins of NBC put it so eloquently, Becker plays The Game. He attacks, he hits different shots. He dives for balls. He exults in victory and improbable winners.

He must become the man to mount the challenge to Lendl. If it is Mecir, there will be many more scenes like the one at Stade Roland Garros: the stands half-empty during a Grand Slam semifinal because the fans needed a break from the humdrum. The same is true of Wilander or even Edberg, playing style aside. Becker is fun to watch, fun to listen to and capable of the kind of brilliance on the tennis court that Lendl, for all his fundamental soundness, simply will not produce. Take Becker out of men's tennis right now and what would we have to look forward to at Wimbledon, a Lendl-Edberg final? The English would queue up to get out of that one. The state of the game was perhaps best summed up during an interminable Lendl-Wilander rally last Sunday. As he watched the ball go back and forth, a member of the English press murmured quietly, "Come back John McEnroe, all is forgiven." In the world of men's tennis, truer words have rarely been spoken.

MORE: Tsonga maintains perfect record - The Championships, Wimbledon 2017 - Official Site by IBM Tsonga maintains perfect record No.12 seed says he feels '100 per cent fit' after comfortable victory against Cervantes READ MORE By Danielle Rossingh No play for a month with a dodgy thigh didn’t stop Jo-Wilfried Tsonga from what he’s always done in the first round of Wimbledon: winning. Tsonga’s 6-4, 7-6(5), 6-4 victory over the Spaniard Inigo Cervantes , ranked No.75, on Court 12 maintained his perfect record of never losing in the opening round in nine visits to the All England Club. It was in stark contrast to a month ago at the French Open, when Tsonga waved to the crowd on the main Court Philippe Chatrier in tears after an adductor injury forced him to retire in the third round against Ernests Gulbis of Latvia leading 5-2. “It’s good to be on the court after a month out,” Tsonga told reporters after slamming 41 winners, including nine aces.

“I’m very satisfied.” Tsonga said he felt “100 per cent fit,” but was also cautious because of what happened in at his home Grand Slam in Paris. The No.12 seed, who lit up Wimbledon in 2011 and 2012 with two semi-final appearances, is always a big draw because of his spectacular play, and there were moments of brilliance against Cervantes. Tsonga had to fight at the end of the second set, when the tenacious Cervantes saved six set points to hold as he trailed 6-5. Tsonga squandered another set point in the tie-break with a forehand wide before finally taking the set on his eighth chance. Although he’d been practising on the grass for two weeks, he said nothing compares with playing actual matches. “The most difficult thing is to play points and to deal with the pressure and everything,” Tsonga said. “When you didn’t play for a moment, you forget the emotion of the court is really high.

It’s really difficult.” Tsonga through to second round after victory over Cervantes Gasquet boosted by win over Bedene Just like defending champion Novak Djokovic , Tsonga is also chasing tennis history at Wimbledon. Premier tour mais le job n'est pas fini #Wimbledon #TsongaTeam pic.twitter.com/WkZHikPJzQ The Four Musketeers: Jean Borotra, Jacqu - Emeline Fort - Häftad (9781240059478) | Bokus The Four Musketeers: Jean Borotra, Jacqu Spara som favorit Fri frakt inom Sverige fï¿½r privatpersoner vid bestï¿½llning pï¿½ minst 99 kr! The Four Musketeers, (French: Les Quatre Mousquetaires) after a popular 1920s film adaptation of Alexandre Dumas' classic, were French tennis players who dominated the game in the second half of the 1920s and early 1930s, winning 20 Grand Slam titles and 23 Grand Slam doubles.

They also led France to six straight Davis Cup wins, 1927 through 1932, in an era when Cup matches enjoyed a prestige similar to today's FIFA World Cup finals. At its creation in 1927, Tournoi de Roland-Garros's trophy was named the Coupe des Mousquetaires in honour of the quartet. The Musketeers were Jean Borotra (1898-1994), Jacques Brugnon (1895-1978), Henri Cochet (1901-1987), Rene Lacoste (1904-1996). (Ingram)

Question: In the 1920's and 1930's which sport was dominated by 'The Four Musketeers' ?
Answer: TENNIS